


The St-eve in a strange land

by siriala



Series: Steve in Dreamland [7]
Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Alien Steve McGarrett, Bottom Steve McGarrett, Dreams, Established Relationship, Fake Attempted Sexual Assault, M/M, Magical Tattoos, Professor Danny "Danno" Williams, Public Nudity, Sex Toys, Sexual Fantasy, Top Danny "Danno" Williams, fake dub-con, fake events
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-12
Updated: 2020-01-12
Packaged: 2021-02-24 15:54:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,651
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22220509
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/siriala/pseuds/siriala
Summary: St-eve visits a new planet where people are hung up on weird customs. But some of these Earthlings also have striking blue eyes and kiss like gods. And they love fiercely.
Relationships: Danny "Danno" Williams/Steve McGarrett
Series: Steve in Dreamland [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1559311
Comments: 6
Kudos: 34





	The St-eve in a strange land

**Author's Note:**

> Seventh part of the Steve in dreamland series. While each part might be readable as a stand-alone, I encourage you to read the series from the beginning, as Steve is on a personal journey that makes more sense if read in order.
> 
> Once again, honscot did a bang-up job making this fic so much better than I ever could on my own. Thank you so much !
> 
> This time, you get two dreams for the price of one fic ! Steve learns to deal with everything he discovered about himself and adapt to the new needs that arose along with his new relationship with Danny.
> 
> Over the years, I sometimes got dizzy with the way Steve's feelings about Joe might change from one season to the next… I guess that's my way to deal with it. Obviously happens before episode 910 "Pio ke kukui, po'ele ka hale" "When the Light Goes Out, the House is Dark" – those who've seen it will understand why, but there's no actual spoiler for the episode.

Steve squirmed under the onslaught. Danny's tongue could be a menace at any given moment, but this was pure torture. Collateral damage, blitzkrieg and all that jazz. Danny had a take-no-prisoner attitude in bed, he aimed for total surrender, and Steve was about to get KIA in this trench warfare.

"Are you really comparing my tongue invading your butt crack to trench warfare ?!"

Now Steve couldn't really be sure what he had said aloud or not. As it was, he could only recall part of the intense, Danny-inspired babbling going on inside his own head, confronted with the equally intense frustration of Danny ceasing his blissful ministrations. But he was prepared to stand his ground.

"You gotta admit, it's kind of fitting. In both cases, you can laze around for any duration of time and achieve nothing, or you can lead the attack, push past the enemy's defenses, and save the day."

"My god, are you ever going to stop with the military metaphors ? You're deranged, you know that ? You're a madman, I'll never say it enough ! And way too wordy for someone getting fucked."

"Not that much. My asshole is still begging to get plowed."

Instead of getting back to the thorough rimming he had been expecting – since the first time Danny had gone to town on him in this very particular way, Steve had become a true addict and a faithful worshipper of Danny's marvelous tongue in more ways than the usual one – his lover sat on the bed and retrieved his phone from the nightstand.

"What are you doing ?!" Steve worried, ass still in the air, about the chance that Danny would take a picture of him like that – never mind the growing feeling, resembling a bit too much excitation for his own peace of mind, eliciting a deep shiver.

"Searching Amazon," Danny answered.

"What ? Why ?"

"I'm ordering you a gag."

"You're not serious."

But Danny kept on typing on the tiny screen of his phone and Steve, after considering his hard-on with a sad sigh, just had to take the device off of Danny's hands at some point.

He felt immediately foolish as he took in the note app displaying one single word, in big red letters written with the tips of Danny's fingers : 'Gotcha !'

Danny was laughing like a loon and Steve threw the phone away before he threw himself at him, pinning a non-resisting Danny under his bigger weight and body mass.

"Gotcha back !" he said, stealing a kiss that Danny stole back immediately, his shorter legs twining with Steve's, and they kept on kissing like drunk lovers with very little coordination as they moved around the bed, content with the moment.

"Now are you going to fuck me ?" Steve finally whispered against Danny's lips.

"It's a good thing you can't take command of my cock the way you do with my car or you'd be fucking yourself without asking for my permission every time you'd set foot in this house."

"Don't lose hope, I might still find a way," Steve answered with a wink.

"So why don't you do all the hard work ?"

Danny let go of him, reclining on the bed to give Steve room to play as he wanted. With a wolfish grin, Steve decided to take him up on his offer and began to lick a trail of fire across Danny's so attractive body, up until the moment he got to his cock. Gobbling most of it in one go (he still had to master the art of deep-throating, his gag reflex not cooperating at all, but he would someday, of that he was sure), he gave himself to sucking the big dick to complete hardness, the way he needed it right now.

They had stopped using condoms a while ago, after talking about the kind of experience they hoped to live together – sharing everything – and how committed they were to each other – totally and exclusively – so Steve simply got back on his knees to align his hole with Danny's crown and let gravity do its job. He was immediately reminded of the fact that Danny had only had time to play with his tongue, no thorough preparation with his fingers, by the stretch of his anus that felt more forceful than usual. But there was no real pain, just the feeling of Danny invading him, and it was so enjoyable that Steve vowed to do it again like that soon. He liked the notion of having to work to deserve the biggest pleasure he'd ever known.

Danny too enjoyed the fierce penetration, his open mouth on a silent cry of growing pleasure gave it away. Steve felt fuller than ever, but he let go and took in the last inch necessary to sit on Danny's lap, on Danny's balls, and Danny gasped, his hands going to Steve's hips to keep him there and bask in the feeling a little bit longer.

When Danny thrust up, it was Steve's turn to gasp, surprised by the move and the stroke on his prostate.

"Move it !" Danny all but ordered, and Steve found himself obeying without thinking about it.

He moaned as Danny's cock glided against his inner walls but he powered on, almost getting free of the big shaft before he unlocked his thigh muscles and slid back down to impale himself again in the fullest way. Danny took to thrusting in on the downstroke, irregularly so that Steve waited for it, impatiently.

"C'mon, do it !" Steve pleaded for more.

Danny's hands gripped his hips harder to get his attention, urging him to look down, right in his eyes.

"Tell me how you feel, rather than what you want," Danny suggested, eyes straight back into Steve's. "Or if you prefer, let me see what you want, so you don't have to tell me."

Mesmerized, Steve kept staring at Danny.

"I feel…" he tried, not having any real idea what he was saying, consumed with fear and pleasure at the same time. "I feel like… I belong to you, like you're… embedded in me for all time. I love that you feel so big and so forceful inside me."

"Gooood," Danny approved, stretching the vowels along the next thrust deep inside Steve's ass.

Maybe Steve wasn't used yet to this strange feeling of taking another man's cock inside him, but he was glad for that. He never wanted to take those moments for granted, never wanted to feel less than overwhelmed welcoming Danny deep inside. And he was in no danger of that happening anytime soon, considering the way Danny fiercely took him, unable to just lie down and let Steve work for it alone.

Danny's hands did the same talking as usual, loving Steve's whole body while Steve's hands focused on the furry chest lying right there at their disposal. Danny's nipples were not as sensitive as his own, but they enjoyed caresses anyway and Steve wanted to make his lover feel as good as him.

At the same time, he squeezed Danny's shaft inside him. He was not really sure if he was trying to keep him inside, or if it was just a way to increase his pleasure, but Danny responded in the right way, moaning and pushing hard once more inside Steve.

They kept at it for a while, pleasure growing, conscious thoughts disappearing to make way for the tidal wave of orgasm. Steve fought to remain upright until Danny reached his own peak and climaxed inside his ass.

Feeling Danny's come deep inside was the one surprising pleasure Steve had never really seen coming. He had wished for it, but for all the wrong reasons. He might even have thought it'd be gross, but there was something to be said for the magic feeling of possession it invoked.

"S'good," he drawled.

He leaned down to kiss Danny and then lie over him, doing his best not to dislodge yet the cock still filling him.

"That was great," Steve tried again, to let Danny see he was willing, if not very good at this sharing thing.

"That it was," Danny answered, still fighting a little to get his breath back. "You may be spared the gag, if you keep that up."

With a tired grin, Steve let his body fall next to Danny's before he threw his arm over his lover's torso and allowed sleep to claim him.

\-------------

The men who have captured Steve, the two huge Hawaiian guys he has no chance to fight off, sit him down on the narrow bench – so narrow that Steve's ass is mostly hanging in the air – threatening to sit on him instead if he doesn't behave. Then they cuff his hands over his head to the pipes running from one machine to another. He tests the manacles, looking for a way to free himself, but there's absolutely no give. He's stuck. He can't even sit a little forward to make it easier on his thighs that quickly tire of the bench cutting them as Steve is forced to wait for something or someone. The men are not talking and Steve doesn’t want to antagonize them by asking too many questions. He wouldn't take well to the two of them sitting on him to shush him.

Finally, the arrival of their boss is heralded by the snap of fingers that magically take all of Steve's clothes away. He looks down at himself, nonplussed and not a little ashamed, and the goons grin, amused and malevolent, to see him trying once again to escape, still in vain. But they keep staring at him, arms crossed over their formidable torsos, making no move to touch him.

That honor belongs to the one who can only be their boss. A short, blond haole, in direct contrast with his big, suntanned men, who saunters from behind Steve with a satisfied grin as he studies his naked body.

"I demand that you let me go," Steve tries hopelessly. "Now !"

People usually trip over themselves to obey his every order, but not this guy. No, this guy's smile grows even bigger, and his arms stretch impossibly to land his hands on Steve's body. To pinch his nipples and stroke his cock that fills right this instant.

"Not in front of your men," Steve pleads, because he won't fool anyone into believing he doesn't want this, but once again his order is disregarded.

Worse, another snap of the boss' fingers makes a strange kind of collar appear out of thin air. In its center, a ball attracts Steve's attention, black as the deepest night, shiny as the most-polished metal. It floats in the air it was born from, until it reaches Steve's face and forces his mouth open to get inside and take residence on his tongue.

It's heavy but smooth, and Steve enjoys its weight and texture despite himself. He even enjoys the feeling of the leather collar snaking around his cheeks as it clicks shut at the back of his head, preventing Steve from spitting the gag away. From issuing orders that no one will listen to.

Then the blond guy looks at him, still not talking, and Steve swears he can hear him in his head, all the things the man doesn't say out loud.

That Steve is real handsome. That Steve belongs to him. That Steve is going to enjoy it so much when he fucks him.

Next thing Steve knows, the boss is standing behind him and his cock breaches his rim easily. Steve can still hear him in his head, victorious and possessive, but he also feels the haole's pleasure like it's his own while he's invading Steve's ass.

And it soon becomes clear that this goes both ways, that the boss can hear Steve's thoughts and uses them to make him feel as good as possible with his direct plug into Steve's mind and sensations. The feedback loop between them doubles the pleasure they're experiencing, words banished to live in the moment and share something invaluable.

\-------------

The frontier between dream and reality was so thin that it took a long minute at least for Steve to realize he was in his bed and Danny was making love to him, not some weird Jersey mafia boss trying to make a place for himself in Hawaii by turning the head of Five-0 into his very willing bitch.

Danny's three fingers were already high and deep inside his ass, playing with Steve's prostate like a violin virtuoso might have played with his Stradivarius' strings.

"Oh, god, Danny, it's good !" Steve moaned as he arched off the bed, trying to follow the retreating fingers.

The dream had brought him so close to orgasm already, he needed to see this to the end, follow Danny to…

"Follow my lead," Danny urged him, always in tune with Steve's needs, "last stop Bliss Central !"

The penetration was smooth and powerful at the same time, Steve's breath coming in short puffs that hardly emptied or refilled his lungs. Danny knew how much Steve loved being awakened like that, claimed and pleasured, overwhelmed by his senses and feelings. It never took very long for him, and it was even quicker this time after his dream, but there was nothing better than to feel Danny chasing his own bliss for as long as needed afterwards. Nothing better than to feel it was Steve's own body that got him there. Nothing.

Danny's hands kept stroking him for a while, calming them both, giving them a moment to adjust once more to the idea that they couldn't stay tied like that all day long, that they had to go their own ways.

A stray thought had Steve opening his eyes to make sure neither Kamekona nor Flippa were looking at them in this very intimate moment.

Reassured, he closed his eyes back and gave himself time to refuel his energy before he had to get up and face the day.

\-------------

The morning began with a road chase that had Danny yelling at him for the umpteenth time in the nine years they had known each other. Yelling that Steve was a menace, that Danny didn't want to end as roadkill, and everything was right in Steve's universe.

The Camaro easily caught up with the old Chevy and, with a controlled spin, Steve stopped the crazy drivers trying to escape the police after a heist so lackluster it didn't even earn them a thousand dollars.

"Really ?!" Danny ranted at them. "You had me so close to death that I saw my whole life again because of this lunatic's driving, and it was all for 969 bucks and 32 cents ?!"

Duke ordered his officers to lead the perps away. They were just kids, two teens who would have the time and opportunity to rethink their life choices before they were sent back home, Steve would make sure of it. They hadn't used real guns, and no one had been injured, which meant they could still be spared hard prison time if the judge was so inclined, which they might with Steve's input. A few months doing community-related jobs, like working in a hospital with victims of road rage – Steve knew Danny would like that very much – would benefit them and the island's population way more than meeting hardened prisoners in Halawa.

They went back to the palace at a much leisurely pace. Steve had found that his driving got much slower when Danny kept a hand on his thigh all the way. After his earlier scare, Danny's hand was placed so high that it felt to Steve that even the most sedate old ladies were honking at them to drive faster or make room.

Few hours had passed at the office before Danny sent him an email with a direct link to some online sex shop. Even though Steve swore he wouldn't click on it, curiosity got the better of him and he was soon contemplating a red and shiny ball gag, one that was supposedly made with a dragon egg, and another one that looked suspiciously like an anchor that Steve could imagine inserted in his mouth to keep it open but unable to speak.

Steve snorted, amused by Danny's choice of a naval symbol to shut him up. Half-aroused by the reminder of his dream, Steve left the office for a supply room he had discovered, down in the lowest levels of the palace, sending a text back to Danny to meet him there.

\-------------

Steve had taken to going to bed naked since he slept most nights with Danny. He hadn't foreseen the sheer sensuality of having another man lusting after you, the frank desire directed at him that made him want to seduce Danny all the time in return. He used to be more on the other side of that fence with the women of his life, although Danny had laughed the day Steve had said so to him.

"You should have seen it coming, babe," Danny had explained his mirth. "The way you like to undress and show off your pretty pecs and abs. You were begging for it, really."

Steve might have pouted a bit at that, but Danny's next words had made it all better.

"I'm so glad no other man took you up on the offer before me !"

So Steve had kept on sleeping naked, ensuring that Danny's lust was never quelled.

To be honest, the few nights they spent separated – because Danny had the kids and he wanted to make sure their relationship was solid before he told them, even though they were both pretty sure Grace had guessed already – Steve slept naked too, for it made him feel like his lover would be joining him soon. He longed for the day everyone would know they were together and nothing would come between them. The day Danny felt they were solid enough to come live with him.

In the meanwhile, Junior was a good friend who took care of making sure Steve lacked for nothing, trying to repay him for the kindness of putting a roof over his head in his time of need. Eddie was a great companion too, and it was infinitely less awkward to find himself naked in front of the dog, when Steve went to take a leak at night, than it was with Junior.

Awkward because of the nakedness itself, of course, but not only. Junior knew Danny and Steve were now an item, just like the rest of Five-0. It was nigh to impossible for trained investigators to ignore the way they touched more than ever, spent even more time together and told the same tales as they drank coffee with the team in the morning. And then Lou had asked aloud if they had something to share with the class. Steve only had to look at Danny for him to come out to their ohana, the both of them happy with the hugs and good wishes coming their way. "About time !" was by far the most repeated comment, one that Steve relished and hated just as much, for it meant they had all been rooting for them but also highlighted the fact that he could have had Danny by his side for many years, if only they hadn't been so chickenshit, each so afraid of losing the other.

It made him want to make up for lost time, and sleeping naked was about that too. But having Junior be the witness of Steve's newfound gluttony for sex rankled a bit, for he was not the intended recipient of said gluttony and his presence made Danny's absence all the more evident. Not to mention it was kind of awkward still during the day, when Steve had to act as Junior's boss and give him orders. It felt like his authority was partially eroded by flashing his naked junk, even though Junior kept being the perfect ex-SEAL, soft-spoken and mostly obedient.

And this too had Danny laughing, although Steve could feel the tiny sliver of jealousy Junior getting to see Steve naked elicited in him; by the way Danny put a proprietary hand on his ass and/or crotch as soon as they were alone, as if to block the view to anyone else and claim ownership once again.

\-------------

It's a gorgeous planet, so blue and white from above, and so much more colorful once you get to walk on it.

Its inhabitants are just as colorful. Strictly speaking, of course, for St-eve discovers many variations of skin color that delight him to no end. But also in the way they approach him with cheers and laughs for the most part. A few seem unexpectedly angry at him, for no reason St-eve can surmise. Some even put a hand in front of the young ones' eyes, as if St-eve's too shiny for them to look at him and their still-growing body has no way to deal with it.

It's not until he's led to meet the representative of the beautiful island he's chosen to land on that he understands his mistake.

The representative is a woman, tall and determined, and she offers her hand to St-eve. He looks at it without understanding, so she takes it back, but her words are easy to translate with the help of the bracelet on his right arm.

"I'm Governor Jameson," the woman says, "the highest authority in Hawaii. This island is called Oahu and is part of the United States of America. Can you tell me your own name, and where you come from ? Why you're here ?"

St-eve is baffled by the way she seems unable to keep looking straight at him ; her eyes slide down to the middle of his body every so often. Maybe she tries not to antagonize him this way, to avoid a direct confrontation. St-eve needs to reassure her that there's no risk of a fight between them.

"I'm St-eve," he answers pleasantly, and the bracelet immediately translates his words. "I came to visit your world, see if we can become friends."

"Do you really have to remain naked for that ?!" she blurts suddenly.

St-eve understands at last why some people have been acting so strangely in front of him. They fear he's going to get cold.

"Don't worry on my account. I find the weather here in Oahu absolutely delightful. And I have my personal heater in case of need," he adds, showing his multi-function bracelet.

She swallows with difficulty, it's obvious.

"I'm glad to hear that," she smiles, "but you should know that people here on Earth are not as… liberated as you are. We don't get naked much, unless it's to wash ourselves or be intimate with our lovers."

This time, St-eve is completely flabbergasted.

"Why is that ? Does your biology require much warmer temperatures ?"

"No, the weather here is even considered too hot by some people. It's not a biological imperative that has us wearing clothes, it's a societal one. It's not polite to show one's genitals in public."

"Why ?"

"Because it's private, and because we don't want to arouse other people we're not attracted to."

"Why ?" he repeats. "Getting aroused is their problem, not yours. And it's nothing shameful."

"I guess it's not, but it can very much become your problem if they try to force themselves on you."

"That's weird," he says, and immediately regrets it.

He's not here to criticize a society he doesn't understand. Wearing clothes doesn't hurt anyone. On the other hand, he has a hard time imagining someone forcing themselves on another being, for where would be the pleasure in such an encounter if one of the lovers didn't enjoy the other's touch ? Where would be the love ? The satisfaction ? The exchange ?

"I can't force you to wear clothes," the governor adds, "but if you choose to visit our planet naked, I'll have to assign you a guard, someone able to protect you from unwanted attention. Do you understand ?"

"I think so."

He doesn't need anyone to protect him, but a guard might be a good way to get to know one of those humans closely. And he definitely doesn't want to hide under those close-fitting fabrics that seem so constrictive.

The worst is this kind of leash some of the males wear around their neck – the bracelet says it's called a tie. St-eve wonders for a moment if it's meant to hide their marital status, the sign of another weird societal taboo, but he thinks better of it once he realizes none of the humans sport the collar mark. None of them know what he's talking about when he asks. Instead, some of them show him the ring they wear on their fourth finger, or explain that they're not married.

The guard assigned to him is neither married nor wearing a tie. He speaks gently to tell him his name is Joe and that they're going to learn to know each other as they travel together. That St-eve can ask him everything he wants, and Joe will do his best to get it for him.

Joe is a nice human being, and St-eve appreciates their conversations, but he's not sure he trusts him entirely. Joe keeps a lot to himself. He doesn't speak about his own life, preferring to question St-eve again and again about his planet and its inhabitants, whether they have armies and weapons, if they might show up on Earth someday too, how many of them, and with what kind of advanced technology. What kind of intentions.

If they're all naked, too, for even after a few months everybody's still stuck on Steve's nakedness, especially Joe's friends who sometimes replace him to guard St-eve. Wade, or Billy, or Nick, men who are all former military, just like Joe, who have been taught to defend their planet and fellow Earthlings against threats of all kinds.

St-eve does his best to explain he's no threat, that he understands the need to protect but that his mores and habits are no danger to those on Earth who don't think like him. He knows his attitude has made ripples here and there, people questioning the way things are, going naked too and getting arrested for it, and Joe gets angry the day St-eve wonders in front of him why it's such a bad thing to be different.

"You think you're better than us ?" Joe asks, standing toe to toe with St-eve, tall and dangerous. "Walking around naked, ignoring the laws of this planet, doing what you want, the way you want."

"Why would I try to compare what is not comparable ? Every being, be they from this planet or another, all men and women, they're just who they are, all different."

"So what ? You're just trying to seduce us all ? You're such a slut that your own planet wasn't enough anymore and you had to come and tempt us Earthlings ?"

"I already told you, I'm just what you call an explorer. How was I to know that the Earthlings are not at ease with their own bodies and need to cover themselves at all times ? That you can be judged for who you are just as well as the way you lead your life, even though you're not hurting anyone else ?"

"Not hurting anyone ? Do you really believe this ? You bring questions and change in your wake. People are looking at you and wondering who's wrong, the parents who taught them to live in the way their ancestors always did, or the stranger who wants to make everything different."

"I'm not trying to change any…" St-eve starts, but then Joe throws himself at him and St-eve falters backwards. He tries to steady himself, only to be pushed again, and this time he stumbles against something. He lands heavily on the ground, breath whooshing out of him because of his fall but mostly pushed out of his lungs by the whole of Joe's weight suddenly covering his body.

"If you're so desperate for a good fuck," Joe says, his lips searching for St-eve's, "ask, and you shall receive."

Joe's touch is unwelcome, and Steve tries at first to push him back. But the man is like a gigloo – it is St-eve's belief that there's a similar species on Earth called octopus – his hands gripping Steve's limbs and appendices with too much force. So St-eve's knee comes up and hits Joe's crotch hard enough to send him crawling away, hands holding himself rather than St-eve's so-called private parts.

"I didn't ask," St-eve reminds his guard as he gets back on his feet. "You are not right for me, so I'd appreciate if you'd keep your hands and lips to yourself."

He understands now what the governor meant but he doesn't want to change his ways any more than he's trying to change those of the people of this planet. So he decides the time for a guard is long past and now comes the time when he travels his own path. The governor won't be pleased with him, but he really couldn't care less.

Still, he realizes he needs to learn more about the Earthlings, beginning with their language, and school seems to be the best place to start. St-eve knows that in some countries, migrants are taught the basic rules and knowledge needed to live in their new environment. He decides to do that too.

He meets with the professor before the course begins, to avoid wasting his time in case the man turns out to be a bigot or a rapist, two words he learned on this planet.

The man is not what St-eve expected. He matches St-eve's age, but he's a lot smaller, he wears glasses, and his hair is as long and blond as St-eve's is dark and short. But St-eve loves the contrast, just as much as he loves the smile directed at him when the professor welcomes him.

"Hi !" the Human says, standing up to join his visitor at the door. "You're St-eve, right ? Tell me, how should I say your name ? Because from where I stand, it reads like St. Eve."

There's a lot of amusement in the human's tone, but it doesn't seem mocking.

"I'm told this is the same as the name Steve that people in your country use."

"So Steve it will be. Glad to know you, Steve. I'm Danny."

The man is still very blond. His blue eyes, though, almost disappear when he grins so openly, squinting in the sun looking up at him, and St-eve finds it fascinating. He decides for once to go with the local custom of shaking hands and offers his before Danny can do the same. His offer is met with another smile.

When their hands come in contact, St-eve's whole body is shaken to the core. He can feel his pupils dilating, his breath getting faster and shorter, and beyond all that, the skin of his neck reacting in a way it never did before. His free hand automatically goes for it, but he already knows what it means.

"St-eve, your neck ! What's happening ? Are you allergic to something ? Do you need a doctor ?"

St-eve hardly hears the panic in Danny's voice, trying to see below the tie the professor is wearing if the mark has appeared too.

"Your doctors can't do anything for me. I need to know…"

St-eve's hands abandon his own neck to look for Danny's, pushing his tie and shirt down to look for the mark. A terrible dread seizes him when it becomes clear that Danny doesn't feel like he belongs to St-eve in return.

"Hey, what are you doing ?" Danny fights him, straightening his tie back as soon as St-eve's hands let go of him. "You might enjoy walking around naked, and you certainly have nothing to be ashamed of, but not everyone feels like you. And if this is a way to ask for sex, there are rules and customs on this planet that you might want to learn first. Seems I've got my job cut out for me with you here."

"This wasn't… I don't get it," St-eve sighs. "There was this man, Joe, who thought my being naked meant he could touch me the way he wanted."

"I'm sorry to hear that. Women on this planet do keep saying that us men are pigs who don't understand the meaning of no."

"Surely not everyone is like that. You, for example, you don't mind that I'm naked and you don't want me to touch you so you're not attracted to me."

The professor laughs suddenly, startling St-eve.

"I hate to break it to you, buddy, but… I _am_ very attracted to you. I won't jump you, don't worry, I have enough self-control and respect for the both of us. But looking at you means wanting to touch you. To make love to you."

"So how come you don't have the mark ?" St-eve can't help asking, rather forcibly, as hope seizes him whole again.

"What mark ?"

"The collar mark, on your neck. The one like me, that says you belong to me like I belong to you."

"Steve, humans don't get marks like that," Danny tells him, so gentle, as if afraid to break him.

Other humans did warn him that they don't get such natural marks on this planet ; in the light of this new development, it appears St-eve never really believed them.

"But it doesn't mean we can't belong to someone, too," Danny adds, probably to make him feel better, less rejected.

"I know, you humans wear rings, but you can take them off. The collar never goes away. I'm yours now. Forever."

Danny raises a tentative hand towards St-eve's neck, as if certain that he will be turned down. But Steve doesn't move, he welcomes the touch on his collar, and it's pure delight he feels at the fingers that trace the natural tattoo. St-eve hasn't seen it yet, but he's sure the design is in Danny's image, deceptively simple, in fact intricate and beautiful, and there's no one he'd rather be with than this fascinating human being.

"I had one of those rings, once," Danny says with a sadness that St-eve finds hardly bearable, "and I gave one to the woman I loved, but she threw it away. I understand what you mean, but I need time before I can be sure… I don't know you."

"Then I'll do whatever you need to know me so that you can be sure and choose me."

Danny snorts.

" _You_ are awfully sure of yourself, aren't you ?"

"Of course, I am. The mark never lies."

"And what about you ?"

St-eve goes to answer, but they're so in tune already that he realizes Danny is joking.

From this day forward, Danny becomes St-eve's private teacher in all things Earth-related. Earthlings are complicated, and their many societies even more so. One thing allowed in some country is a grave offense in another. Not even in one country, including small ones, can you find homogeneity in mores and habits. Some Humans welcome touch, others don't. Some encourage the expression of one's feelings, but others pride themselves on stoicism and privacy.

It's all maddening, and St-eve is sure he won't ever get the hang of it all. So he focuses on what he needs. His one true constant is Danny. St-eve's learned an expression that describes him well : larger than life. Danny's silhouette might be short and unassuming, but his personality is diametrically opposite. The fire of his soul erupts now and then, and it's a joy to behold for St-eve, all this passion that he desires for himself.

Months pass and they get closer. Danny leads the way, because St-eve doesn't want him to feel pressured. He knows they'll be together, sooner or later, his mark is the proof of their bond, but Danny's been burned and he doesn't believe yet. He says it's not fair, in these circumstances, to begin something with St-eve in case he reveals himself unable to see it through. Danny is in fact just as complicated as the rest of the human beings populating the planet.

But St-eve has more patience for him that he ever felt for any other human. Which doesn't mean he's above tempting the man he wants. Danny likes to touch, in a casual, friendly way, so St-eve imitates him. He takes to stroking all the skin he can reach and he can see how much Danny enjoys it.

Their first kiss is so easy, so natural. So Earth-shattering.

"I'm sure," Danny murmurs, his fingers running along St-eve's mark, and then he dives back in, and they kiss some more.

They kiss long and hard, while Danny's hands begin to map St-eve's whole body. It's a heady sensation, those warm hands taking possession of him, professing their love all along his limbs, through his hair, down his neck. St-eve closes his eyes to welcome the gentle kisses on his eyelids and he needs to say it aloud.

"I love you," he cries as Danny pushes inside him and becomes his whole world.

Wherever they live, whoever they meet, they're tied now, and no one can take Danny away from him.

\-------------

"How do you feel about the collar tattoo ?" his therapist asked once he had finished telling her about his latest nocturnal drama – her expression to qualify his numerous, nightly brain farts.

"It wasn't a bad thing in the dream, on the contrary. It spoke of devotion, of unending love. In some ways, it reminded me of the oath I took to defend the country and the people. There's no holding back, you're in it and that's it. I think that's what the collar symbolized : my oath to Danny, my devotion to him, my will to make it last between us. To be there for him all the way. You know, for better and for worse, in sickness and in health, that kind of thing. It's not always easy, but it's all worth it."

"So you believe you're already at that stage ? You haven't been together for very long."

"Maybe, but I've loved him for so long, and I've never felt so happy. I came to see a therapist to make it work ! On my own volition ! None of my old friends would ever believe that. Danny's been mocking me ever since I told him."

"Okay, I get it," she laughed. "But how do you feel about the fact that the Danny of your dream didn't have a collar of his own ?"

"I don't know. Maybe he did in the end. I woke up when the clock rang, so maybe he'd have had one later on."

To be honest, he didn't like it one bit, not in the dream, and not after waking up and remembering that part. And he didn't care to talk about it. Danny would come to these feelings too, he was sure of it.

"Do you still feel like the stranger in a strange land ?"

"At times," he admitted. "Danny helps me not to feel like that. Even when he jokes about the many ways I need to control my universe, I know it comes from this place of love where he believes I've been short-changed by my parents and the Navy, that I need all the love in the world to make me feel like I belong. Like I deserve to be loved."

"And you believe it when it comes from him ?"

"I do. Now, I do, and I want to keep it forever."

He really did, and that was probably one of the reasons why he already thought of marrying Danny. He knew it would be a challenge to convince him, after all the things Rachel had put him through, but he was confident. If anything, the dream told him he was ready to be patient and wait as long as necessary to change Danny's mind.

There was still one thing that bothered him, though. Steve's dreams might have gotten supremely weird at times, but they generally maintained a certain amount of logic when confronted with Steve's desires and fears. Save for when they didn't.

"What I don't get is why I chose Joe to attack me in this way in my dream," he said. "Joe and I, we've had our fair share of disagreements, and I've often had a hard time trusting him these past years. But he was my mentor, and I still consider him a friend. He's an honorable man, one who would never do that kind of thing."

"Okay. So maybe you have to look at it in a less literal way. This is not you as much as this new part of you, that you've now accepted, this freedom you've allowed yourself to feel and live, that he's attacking. And this is not Joe, but what he represents. The army. Navy. Whatever. You told me Joe was a man of principles, you just took it to the extreme. Here, he's the part of the military mind that can be stuck in its old ways and habits, inherited from centuries of denial. The part of yourself you don't blindly trust anymore."

"It shows I'm not a prisoner of my military "upbringing" anymore. I had a feeling you would say something like that," Steve smiled.

She smiled in return and teased him.

"That's because I taught you well."

She had indeed. He felt he now had the tools to navigate those new, unknown currents he had chosen to dwell into. With Danny by his side, he was bound to succeed. That part of the military mind he still had ingrained and didn't want to let go had him sure of one thing : failure was not an option.

Danny and him, they would be happy together for the rest of their lives. Steve didn't delude himself that it would be all smooth sailing, but they would make it.

"I hope you won't take it badly, but I feel it's time for me to put an end to these sessions."

He looked at his therapist in concern.

"I think you're right. You came to me with a goal in mind, and you've reached it. Good therapy doesn’t have to last years, you know, and my door will always be open to you."

He felt relieved anyway. He knew he could come to her anytime the need arose, but she was right when she said he had succeeded in his goal.

He had Danny in his life, the way he had long wanted him, and he was happy.

\-------------

Danny was waiting by the Camaro when Steve got out of therapy. Leaning against the car sipping at his coffee, he radiated the same happiness Steve felt in himself.

"Why are you waiting here ?" Steve asked. "I thought we were to meet at the coffee shop."

"I know. But I knew you were coming out."

Danny offered him another coffee, and Steve let go of his surprise. He knew anyway. Danny and him, they were linked, had been forever, and often knew what the other thought before they even wondered about it. It made sense that this still relatively new thing between them would bring them even closer.

All his fears left behind, Steve walked to stand right in front of Danny and leaned down to kiss him. Danny stiffened for a second, very aware that they were in public, but his lips opened to invite Steve's tongue into his mouth, gently playing with it as his free hand found the way to Steve's back to steer him closer.

Steve forgot about everything else, addicted and unrepentant. He had no intention of ever giving this up.

As soon as they stopped kissing, Steve found the Camaro's key in Danny's pocket and held it out for him. He smiled at the surprise on Danny's face.

"Lead on," he said with another kiss.

They were going back home, he didn't need to play the badass SEAL right this moment, and he kind of got a new appreciation for Danny in control… when he chose to let him.

Life was good.

\-------------

Danny takes in the alien who has become closer to him than anyone else on this planet. The one person he can share everything with, who stands naked in all ways in front of him and offers him the best of everything he is. This man shines so brightly, in body and in mind, and Danny can't always believe St-eve's given himself to him, that he's willing to share his life with such a curmudgeon who's got nothing but attitude and a past to offer.

But he also knows that St-eve doesn't see it this way. That St-eve sees the best in him and helps him express it, and that he also understands the worst and find ways to make it better. That together, they're sure to make it.

He raises his left hand, fingers spread so that St-eve will see immediately the ring-like tattoo now adorning his ring finger, so reminiscent of the marks around St-eve's neck. And the smile of pure joy and love he receives in return is all that he needs to know his message went through. For all intents and purposes, they're now as good as married, and Danny will make sure they remain so until death do them part. This particular ring he will never take off.

Danny holds St-eve's gaze while he gets closer. Slowly, seductively, he abolishes the distance between them to take the man in his arms. He relishes instantly the warmth and love radiating from him, the softness of his skin, the solidity and strength of the muscles underneath. His hands take possession once more and make love to St-eve, moments before their whole bodies mingle.

With each thrust inside St-eve, Danny proves that they belong to each other. Forever.

\-------FIN-------

**Author's Note:**

> The last part of the series will be released next Sunday, and it'll be a longer story to end it all ! In the meanwhile, I hope you enjoyed this one and that you'll let me know :)


End file.
